WWE holds tryout for 28 top athletes in Manchester, England

WWE’s tour of the United Kingdom has brought with it not just the thrilling action of Raw and SmackDown LIVE, but also a golden opportunity for 28 athletes who attended a tryout this week in Manchester, England.

NXT General Manager William Regal and WWE Performance Center Coach Robbie Brookside, both masters of the classic British style of wrestling, oversaw the tryout, which was held Monday and Tuesday at the Manchester Arena.

The camp featured a diverse pool of prospects, including:

British wrestler Andrew Inch, an 11-year veteran who competes out of Scotland under the alias Andy Wild

21-year-old Omari Hockel, a 6-foot-4 speedster who wrestles in the Fight Club: PRO and Lucha Forever organizations, among others

Decorated amateur grappler Chinu Sandhu. The 275-pounder’s accomplishments include being an eight-time British wrestling champion and a bronze medalist in the 2014 Commonwealth Games

Mixed martial artist Jake Constantinou, of Leicester, England. With a background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Constantinou is 2-0 in pro fights and 3-1 in amateur competition

Folakemi Lawal, a 26-year-old bruiser who also goes by the name “Voodoo Queen” Amarah. She has competed in promotions including Bellatrix Female Warriors and Wrestle Force

Kelly Robinson, better known as Kasey Owens, a seven-year veteran based out of Glasgow and a former ICW Women’s Champion.

This week’s tryout continued WWE’s ongoing efforts to recruit competitors from around the world. WWE held talent tryouts in Dubai and London earlier this year, and scouts recently visited several countries in South America to observe independent wrestlers in the region.

Check out photos from the Manchester tryout below:

See photos from WWE's two-day tryout at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, featuring stars from the local independent scene, MMA fighters and more.